A Second Chance
by mysticalforces
Summary: This is my 'what would happen if Eric Brady and Greta Von Amburg ever came back' story. Eric and Greta both come back to town for Jack and Jen's wedding. Only Greta is carrying a painful secret. Can Eric and Greta make it work this time around?
1. Chapter 1

**A Second Chance**

**Summarry:** This is my 'what would happen if Eric Brady and Greta Von Amburg were to ever come back story'.

It had been seven years.

Seven years since Greta Von Amburg had been back in Salem.

Seven years since she'd seen Eric Brady.

She'd come back to Salem for Jack and Jennifer's wedding. Her and Jack had remained good friends.

Being back in Salem was great, but it still held painful reminders for her. She still loved and missed

Eric with everything in her. Ever since he left, she'd tried to go on with her life. She'd tried to tell

herself she didn't love him anymore. That was always a lie though. Just an empty lie.

Greta let out a sigh, and continued walking around Salem Place. She decided to try and focus on

other things.

Eric Brady smiled as he walked around Salem Place. It felt good to be back. Salem was his home and

he had missed it terribly. He also missed Greta. He'd been away for a long time. He'd had plenty of

time to think about things.

Nicole Walker had been one of the biggest mistakes of his life. The other one was letting Greta go in

the first place.

He'd come back for Greta. He knew she'd be here for Jack and Jennifer's wedding. He hoped with

everything in him that they could start over.

He continued walking around, and that's when he saw her.

He saw Greta sitting at a table, drinking coffee.

He smiled, and made his way over to her.

"Greta."

Greta stiffened at the voice.

_No,_ She thought. _It couldn't be..._

Greta turned around, she was stunned to see Eric Brady standing before her.

"Eric." Greta breathed.

"Hey." Eric smiled. He was so happy to see her again. It had been so long.

Greta smiled too. She was happy to see him also. She wasn't angry at him

anymore. Time had healed the hurt he'd caused her. The only thing time hadn't

taken care of, was her love for him.

Greta stood up, and hugged Eric.

Eric was surprised by her move, but hugged her back tightly. He thought she'd still

be mad at him for all the hurt he'd caused her. He was happy to see that she apparently

wasn't.

Greta pulled back and gave Eric another smile.

"Eric, how've you been?"

"I've been good." Eric said honestly. "Colorado was good for me." Eric gave her warm smile.

"How've you been, Greta?"

"I've," Greta stopped, thinking over her answer. Since she'd been in town, she'd talked to

Marlena about what she went through while in Paris. Marlena had always told her to take things

a step at a time. "I've been taking everything day to day. I've had my good days and my bad days,

ya know?" Greta answered honestly.

Eric looked down ashamed. He was ashamed at himself. He was ashamed at how he'd hurt her.

Greta realized he thought she was talking about him, and knew she had to reassure him.

"No, no" Greta said. "This has nothing to do with you, Eric. When I was in Paris...I went through

something pretty bad."

Eric looked up at her, concerned.

"Ever since I went through what I went through, I've had trouble dealing. I've talked to your mom

and she's helped some...it's still incredably hard though. I can't even begin to talk about it. So, please

don't ask me to." Greta continued.

Eric nodded. He wouldn't push the issue on whatever it was that she'd gone through. At least not yet.

"I am sorry that I hurt you, Greta." Eric apologized. "I know I said it before I left, but I really am

sorry. If I could undo everything I would."

Greta just simply nodded her understanding.

"I know you said you don't wanna talk about what happened in Paris, but..." Eric ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you need someone to talk to about it, I'm here. You're not alone."

Greta nodded. "Thanks, Eric."

"You're welcome." Eric replied. "And I really mean that."

Greta suddenly turned as she heard two people fighting.

"You can't just do this!" A guy yelled at some blonde girl.

"I'm sorry, are you my gate keeper?" The girl responded sarcastically.

"I'm your boyfriend!" The guy yelled irately.

"No, you're not." The girl replied. "You asked me out, I said yes. We had one date. It's not gonna work

out. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it wouldn't be fair to keep seeing you, when I still want someone else."

"You bitch!" The guy spat out in anger. "You led me on!"

"I'm sorry." The girl offered.

The girl gave him one last glance and took off.

"Man," Eric commented. "who knew the dating world so complicated?"

Greta didn't say anything, she'd zoned out right after the guy had accused that girl of leading him on.

"Greta?" Eric asked concerned.

_"You fucking lead me on!" _

_"No," Greta choked out. "that's not how it was and you know it!"_

"Greta!" Eric grabbed her hand.

Greta snapped back to the present, and pulled her hand back on impulse.

"You alright?" Eric asked concerened. "Where'd ya go?"

"I'm sorry." Greta apologized. "I started thinking and...it's nothing." She forced a fake laugh. "It's actually really stupid."

"Try me." Eric said concerned.

"That argument that we heard that couple having, it just...it reminded me of something I'd rather forget is all." Greta answered honestly.

"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?"

"No." Great laughed. "And yes."

Eric smiled with understanding.

"You don't wanna talk about it, because that brings it all back and makes it more real than before. On the other hand, you do wanna talk about it, because then you'd be letting it out, and maybe you might find some sort of peace." Eric surmised.

Great looked at him, surprised that he understood how she felt so well.

"Am I right?" Eric asked.

"Exactly right." Greta admitted.

"Talk to me." Eric repeated. "Maybe I can help."

Greta shook her head. "No, I don't wanna involve anybody else. It's something I have to deal with on my own."

"You don't have to deal with anything on your own anymore, Greta." Eric told her gently. "That's why I came back. I want to be here for you. I am here for you. I won't leave again. Trust me."

"Yeah," Greta laughed sarcastically, a lone tear leaking down her face. "cause that worked _so_ well for me the last time!"

Regret, sympathy, and hurt shone in Eric's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Eric replied. "I'm so sorry I let you down."

Greta sighed. "No, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. You're just trying to be my friend again."

"No, I deserved that." Eric shook his head. "I hurt you and I betrayed you. Two things I swore I'd never do." Eric takes Greta's hand in his. "I _won't _do it again. I'll _never _leave you _again_. I _love_ you, and I wanna make _us_ work. It's _forever_ this time. I _promise_ you."

Greta turned to look at him. Tears were entering her eyes again.

"Why should I believe you now?" Greta's voice cracked. "You didn't mean it then, so why do you mean it now?"

Eric's grip on Greta's hand didn't loosen, it only tightened.

"I _did_ mean it _then_. My heart just wasn't in the right place to follow through on it. I was selfish, and I was only thinking of myself. I thought Nicole was the love of my life." If Eric could take any part of his life back, it would be those moments, where he hurt Greta.

Greta turned away. It still hurt to hear her name.

Eric gently turned her chin back toward him.

"I was _wrong_. She _wasn't_ the love of my life. She was the biggest _mistake _of my life. _You're_ the _love_ of my _life_, Greta. _You are_. Seven years hasn't _changed_ that. It's only _strengthened_ it." Eric proclaimed.

Greta could feel her walls crumbling, but she had to ask one more thing.

"What if Nicole comes back and promises you her heart?"

"I'd tell her to go to hell." Eric replied.

Greta laughed through her tears.

"You would not! You're too nice for that."

"Yeah, well I'd tell her my heart belongs to Greta Von Amburg, and it always will."

"I love you too, Eric. I always have." Greta confessed.

Eric reached out and took Greta's face in his hands.

He leaned in to kiss her, but Greta stopped him.

"What is it?" Eric asked her concerned.

"If this," She motioned between the two of them. "is gonna work, then I'm gonna have to tell you something about Paris. I just can't tell you all of it, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me all of it, if it's still too hard." Eric assured her. "I just want to be able to be there for you, the way I should've been all along."

"When I went to Paris, alot of things happened. Things, that I can't get into now, or maybe even ever. The one thing that I need you to know is that I got into a pretty bad relationship there. Alot of times people lie, and they decieve you. They show you what they want you to see, to get you, and then they show their true colors." Greta laughed bitterly. "Much like the devil in disguise."

"I know what you mean." Eric said, thinking back on Nicole and all the lies she'd told him.

"That's what happened with this guy. My friends...they all tried to warn me. Everybody tried to tell me, what a horrible person this guy was, but I wouldn't listen." Greta cleared her throat. "By the time, I realized that they were all right, it was too late. Things already happened, that could never be taken back. I'd already made choices...choices that the girl you know never would've made."

"We all make mistakes, Greta." Eric told her gently. "It's apart of life. No one's perfect. I'm sure whatever mistakes you made, you thought you were doing them for the right reasons."

Greta shook her head. "That's the thing...I became a different person in Paris, Eric. I did things that I'm not proud of. One of them is, I got involved in drugs."

Eric looked shocked, but didn't release his hold on her hand.

"Drugs? Why would you-?"

"It's a long story, Eric. I never meant for it to happen. When it started, it wasn't even my choice. He...Jacob..." Greta trailed off, trying to take deep breaths. She never planned on telling him any of this, but if they were gonna work, he had to understand what happened to her.

"It's alright." Eric said soothingly. He gently kissed her hand. "You can tell me anything. I would never judge you."

"I know that." Greta said. "Jacob had a very toxic lifestyle. One that I was not privy too, when we first started out. If I'd known that he was into drugs, I would've left. The drugs started, because he started injecting them into my arm while I was sleeping."

"My God." Eric was furious. "He could've killed you!"

"And I didn't know. It went on for a long while. By the time I figured that out...my body was already hooked on them. So, I continued that destructive path by choice. If it wasn't for Jack...One of my friends called Jack, and he came to Paris. He, uh..." Greta laughed, remembering it. "He dragged me off to a rehab clinic. I was so mad at him at first, but looking back, it was the best thing he could've done for me."

"And the rehab helped you?"

"Yeah," Greta smiled. "it did. It helped me open my eyes to alot of things. One being, that Jacob and I weren't going to work. I mean, he was the whole reason I became an addict in the first place. In the beginning, I thought that he loved me. That he loved me for me, but that was just a lie. He wanted to change me. He wanted me to do the things that he did." Her face darkened. "Leaving him was not easy, and he hurt me in alot of ways."

"How did he hurt you?" Eric asked concerned.

"He uh, he..."

_Greta felt herself being slammed into the wall._

_"You think you can leave?!" Jacob roared. "I never said you could!"_

"Greta?" Eric questioned softly.

"I," She felt her head spinning, she felt like all the walls were closing in on her.

_"Get off!" She screamed. "Get off!"_

_"I can do whatever I want to you!"_

"Hey," Eric's voice was soft, but urgent. "what's wrong?"

Greta wanted to speak, but couldn't. She felt like she was hyperventilating. Like she couldn't breathe.

It was like it was happening all over again.

Like she was being raped all over again.

"I ca---can--bre" She struggled to get words out, but they just wouldn't come together.

Eric realized what was happening, and he took hold of her arms.

"Hey, look at me. Look at me." Eric took her face in both of his hands. "I think you're having a panic attack, okay? I need you to calm down, alright? Try and breathe for me, okay?"

Eric stood up, and pulled Greta up with him.

"Just lean on me, alright?" Eric kept his voice gentle for her sake, but all he wanted to do was go find Jacob, and beat the life out of him for all the pain he'd clearly caused her. "Try and take slow breaths, okay?"

Eric lead her to his car, and had her get in the backseat, and he got in on the other side and closed the door.

He pulled her body back against him.

"Breathe, babe. Okay? Just breathe for me. You're alright." He gently stroked her hair, as he kept her firmly, but loosely against him. "You're not in Paris, you're here. You're in salem. You're with me."

Greta's body was shuttering and shaking.

"No," She cried. "I don't want...want...don't want...this."

"Don't want what, baby?" Eric's gentle voice whispered into her ear. "Don't want what?"

"Don't want...don't want to...hav...sex."

A tear rolled down Eric's face. It was like he thought, like he'd been thinking. She had been raped.

Eric turned her around, too look into her eyes.

"It's me. It's Eric. You're safe with me. You're so safe with me, baby."

Greta blinked, and suddenly realized where she was. And what she'd just admitted to.

"Eric," Tears were in Greta's eyes. "I can't talk about this. Can't go back there."

"You don't have to." Eric shook his head. "I understand, okay? I understand everything. I'll help you get through this. We'll get through it together, okay?"

Greta nodded, tears in her eyes. "Okay."

Eric pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly.

Greta gripped his shirt sleeve, as she sobbed hard against him.

"It's alright, baby. I got you." Eric breathed. "I got you."


	2. Chapter 2

ChrisEveFan, thanks for the kind words. I was weary about starting this at first. Wasn't sure if it would catch on with anyone. I didn't realize there were other Eric/Greta fans out there also. And yes, Eric will be feeling alot of immense guilt over this. And the boyfriend will get what he deserves! Well, enough said, onto the chapter. Happy reading!

Chapter 2

"Thanks" Greta said quietly, when Eric handed her a cup of coffee.

"You're welcome." Eric replied softly, watching her with worried eyes.

"Look," Greta began awkwardly. "I didn't mean for that to happen back there."

"No one usually means for panic attacks to happen, Greta." Eric said. "Their often accompanied by traumatic disorders."

Eric wiped a hand over his tired face.

It had been twelve hours, since the incident at Salem Place. After she'd finally calmed down in his arms, she just shut down. She remained quiet and didn't say anything. He wasn't about to take her home in the condition she was in, so he took her to his new penthouse.

"If you can't talk to me about it, Greta...then, you have to talk to someone."

"I already have, okay?" Greta felt really embarrassed by all of this. She hadn't meant to freak out on him back there. He started asking her quesitons, and the memories came flooding back, hitting her harder than ever. "I talked to your mother. I got help. I am _fine_."

Eric shook his head, with a slight laugh, but it wasn't humorus.

"You couldn't be any father from fine right now, Greta. You had that panic attack because you clearly haven't dealt with what happened to you." Eric told her.

"It was just a set-back, okay? You just... you just wouldn't leave it alone!" Greta stood up, and turned away from him. "I told you, I didn't wanna talk about it, but you just kept pushing me."

"Because I care." Eric shot at her. "You were raped, and that's something that you need to--"

Greta starts sobbing.

"Greta," Eric sighed, his heart broke at her sobbing. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. I'm saying this because you need to deal with this."

"I know, I know." Greta was rapidly nodding her head, as she wiped her tears away, than her face crumpled again. "I begged him to stop."

"I know, sweetheart. I know." Eric reached out and took her hand in his.

Greta suddenly got angry, and yanked her hand back from his. She stood up, and slapped him across the face.

"Greta," Eric was stunned to say the least. "Wh--?"

"Why now?!" She exploded. "Why now? Why are you here for me now? Where the hell were you when he was pumping me full of drugs? Where were you when he was beating the life out of me?!" Greta's sobbing by now. "Where were you when he ra--" Greta broke off, not able to finish.

"Say it." Eric encouraged. "When he raped yo--"

"Just shut up!" Greta yelled. "Where were you, huh?! Cause you sure as hell weren't there. You weren't helping me! You LEFT me!"

"I know." Eric said quietly ashamed of himself.

"You LEFT me ALONE!" Greta screamed at him. "Cause there was someone BETTER! Cause I wasn't _good enough _for you!"

"No!" Eric shouted, suddenly angry. "That is NOT true! You were more than I deserved!"

"So, you go and cheat on me with Nicole?!" Greta laughed bitterly. "That's a fine way of showing how good enough I was for you."

"I'm not _perfect_, okay?!" Eric snapped. "I never claimed to be! I am a _humanbeing_. I have emotions, and fears just like you do, Greta!"

"Oh, do you?!" Greta laughed.

"I got scared, okay?!" Eric broke down. " I got scared!"

"God, that is such a cop-out! You cheat on me, and all you have to say in excuse was that you were scared?! Please!" Greta yelled. "Give me a break!"

"Damnit, Greta!" Eric stood up. "You were _everything_ that I ever wanted in a woman! _Everything_! I loved _everything_ about you! I _loved you_! You had this innocence about you, this purity. And it freaked me out, okay?!"

"I freaked you out?" Greta had her hand over her chest, as they argued.

"Yeah, you freaked me out!" Eric yelled. "There were all these standards--

"Wait!" Greta yelled. "Standards?! I never asked you for a thing!"

Eric continued on, explaining himself. "And I tried to be perfect for you. And Nicole...that was a _mistake_. A _huge_ one! There were so many unsolved feelings, and...I should've been more straight with you. I should've stayed. I should've begged you to forgive me, and just stayed because you were the _best thing_ that ever happened to me, Greta! The BEST thing!"

"Nicole never left after you did. So, why didn't you stay?" Greta asked.

"Why would I stay?" Eric retorted. "What was I supposed to stay, and go to you and be like, 'oh, Greta, I was a fool about Nicole. She wants money more than me. You're the girl for me, will you forgive me?' Is that what I was supposed to say, Greta?! Is it?!"

"You were supposed to LOVE me!" Greta yelled. "You were supposed to STAY!" Greta's voice lowered to a whimper. "I needed you to stay."

Eric ran a hand over his face, his entire being just spent. "I'm sorry." Eric said quietly. "You'll never know how sorry."

"God, do you have any idea how hard it is to just stand here and look at you right now?!" Greta said.

"I know, okay?!" Eric was getting a little annoyed with the guilt trip. Not annoyed, he was getting...he just didn't know any other way to say he how sorry he was. "I let _you_ down! I let _myself_ down! I let _us_ down! I _get it_, okay?! I GET IT!"

"No!" Greta yelled, poking him in the chest. "YOU don't GET IT! You KNOW, Eric! You KNOW, I was RAPED!"

Understanding dawned in Eric's eyes, as he finally realized what she was so upset about.

"Greta, that doesn't--" Eric tried to explain to her that it didn't matter to him. He needed her to know that he loved her as much as ever.

"Yes, it does!" Greta argued. "You can't stand there, and tell me that knowing this doesn't change how you feel about me."

Eric stood slient for a moment.

"I thought so." Greta said sadly.

She turned around and walked out the door.

"Greta!" Eric yelled.

Eric sighed, and slumped down on the couch. "The only thing it changes, is it makes me love you more." Eric whispered. 


End file.
